Hi everyone! I have done a bit of a search and can't seem to find much written about use of sustainable timber products such as doors...

I am looking for a front door made from sustainable or recycled timber.

Do you think that would be so hard? Our builder uses Corinthian and Hume (both which use bad wood: Merbau which is endangered rainforest timber and Pacific Maple which is threatened). So we have been researching where to get just a plain front door using either recycled timber or sustainable Australian timber. Stegbar use Western Red Cedar from Canada, but we would prefer to support Australian suppliers.

Our home is a Custom design incorporating a number of enviro things such as orientation, ventilation, insulation, solar hot water, better water and energy design than required by BASIX but now we are looking into materials...

So if anyone has anyone suggestions on sourcing a front door that would be super! (Particularly in Sydney. We found two places in the North Coast, but not near Sydney). I just couldn't live with myself opening a door each day and knowing where it had come from ...

Any joy with Ironwood yet?

You could also buy recycled timber and get http://www.cswindows.com.au/index.htm to make a door for you. They did some doors for me and they were amazingly good. I have also seen some other bespoke front doors they have made and I wasvery impressed, Garry is a great guy to deal with and is keen to make sure his customers get what they are after. I seldom reccomend any one but these guys are very good operators. They are in Queenbyane but will frieght the door to you easily. Their number is 02 -6299 2557

Steve

Hi Steve! (and hello again on another thread!) DH hasn't been able to get on to Ironwood yet, but he was going to try again today (and is out tonight so we haven't caught up). So far:

Thors: $1800 (for a beautiful recycled spotted gum door, 820mm)

Hampton & Larsson (Lismore).
Door = $1,070 (ex GST) (bespoke, 1000mm wide which is what we want)(forgot to ask DH what timber it is made from. But I have family in the area, so we might check it out)
Door + Frame = $1,860 (ex GST)

North Coast Timber Doors
DH spoke with them and they want us to fax the details (lovely old chap, not too keen on email

Also spoke to a timber supplier in Sydney (listed on the the Greenpeace Good Wood Guide) but he just suggested Corinthian or Hume!

Need to still follow up the two leads from Steve: Ironwood and cswindows.

Our builder told us today that we would only get $1080 credit for door plus frame (and that is a 1200mm pivot solid timber door). But for us it is worth the extra money to get a sustainable timber / recycled timber door which we will see each day!

Steve (and anyone else looking into sustainable timber floors in the future!)

We heard back from North Coast Timber Doors and they sounded pretty good: $1500 including frame for a 1000mm door.

Today we made the trip out to Ironwood in Rozelle. What a wonderful warehouse / yard of old gems. Alas though, prices more than we cannot afford: $1500 for 1sqm, so for the door size we are looking at over $3000 for the door alone, then the frame and furniture (locks, handles, hinges etc) after that.

But some good news!!! I decided to call Corinthian again and this time got on to a knowledgeable sales person. To my delight they said they can build any of their doors in ANY timber we like!! They order it as a Custom via their joinery in Victoria (http://www.wrusselldoors.com.au )

I checked out wrussell and they have some nice doors too. They generally use: Blackwood, Victorian Ash, Jarrah (not a good wood), Walnut (can be good, but most likely not good), Western Red Cedar (not so good) and Myrtle. We asked about Spotted Gum, which they can also do! So now we are just looking into designs and the qualities (such as janka hardness, and of course the sustainability ratings). Hopefully this option will be easier as it can then all be through the builder at tradies' rates and they organise everything.

Otherwise we would have had issues working out what we had to supply (eg. just door and frame, then what about furniture, architraves etc.).

Our builder is not very impressed with us though. They said on Thursday that we seem more like Owner-Builders, and perhaps we should look into that path? We know that we definitely are not cut out for that path (my dad did it, and it almost killed him!). Plus both working we don't have the time.

So fingers crossed the quote from wrussell doesn't come back too outrageous...

Thanks again for all your tips Steve!

Glad to hear you are making progress, I look forward to seeing the outcome. I Ironwood must have gone all 'Sydney' since I dealt with them 10 years ago, that is just mad pricing I guess there is a market for it Sorry about that bum steer.

Shame about your builder, they are a funny mob, many hate doing anything even remotely challenging. As a solo hands on owner builder I would say you are making a wise choice to not go down that route, it takes a very particular head space and skill set to build a house and even then it is an emotional roller coaster, I don't enjoy it a lot of the time, but other times it is the most fulfilling thing I have ever done (and I have lived a fairly self indulgent life ). You’ll sort it out.

Steve

Hi Steve. No worries, not a bum steer in the slightest. It's all useful as part of the process. And believe me, we have NO intention of doing the owner builder thing. Not only not enough time, but also none of the requisite skills. I guess we are just paying a little more attention than many project home builders to some of the details, materials, sources etc. But will all be worth it in the end - we have to live in the house and our conscience will serve us better knowing we have made enviro friendly choices (Our builder is not actually a project home builder, but we seem to be exhausting even them ).

Have you considered getting a second-hand door? I am looking at affordable alternatives for front doors, and Heritage Building Centre has a decent range. I am also thinking of doing a road trip and seeing what's available out of Sydney, I need the holiday regardless.

Hi there - well to conclude the story especially if someone is reading this in the future - we found a solution!!! DH found a great guy, at North Coast Doors (in Toormina), who is custom making our door:

- Spotted Gum
- 1000mm x 2340mm
- plus frame

for $1500. Sounds like a small operation, but it's nice to support small businesses and the guy sounds like a really hands-on old fashioned sort. SO we are pretty happy. So glad we don't have to use merbau or to resort to sourcing it through a nasty big company.